Safety automatic railway-switch.



R. H. FRENCH.

SAFETY AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLIOATIONIILED OCT. 3, 1 911. 1, 1 03,577. Patented July 14, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

h ii W THE NORRIS PETERS co, WASHINGTON, D c.

R. H. FRENCH. SAFETY AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 3, 1911.

Patented July 14, 1914.

SHEETS- SHEET 2.

In venbor; fiaberi/flfiencb. 6 5

R.. H. FRENCH. SAFETY AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3, 1911.

Patented July 14, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

R. H. FRENCH.

SAFETY AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

'APPLIGATION FILED OUT. 3, 1911.

wii 6 sums 00., wasmnoram o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT H. FRENCH, SHERMAN, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF T0 SIDNEY C. ROWE, OF BEVERLY, CALIFORNIA.

SAFETY AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Application filed October 3, 1911.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14., 1914..

Serial No. 652,636.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT H. FRENCH, a

- citizen of the United States, residing at Sherman, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Safety Automatic Railway- Switch, of which the following is a specification.

An object of this invention is to provide a railway switch that may be opened and closed automatically or by hand as may be desired, and that when opened for the passage of a car or train will remain open until the car or train has passed the switch and will then be caused by the car to automatically close to the normal position.

A further object is to providean automatic switch over which a car or train may be backed without injury to the switch or danger of derailment and which will then automatically return to normal position.

A further object is to provide an automatic switch. of the character above described which is applicable to street railtions above the surface of the street and no considerable cavities in the street. By this invention the switch may be installed in conformity with such conditions.

A further object is to provide a construe tion whereby the invention may be applied to switches already installed.

A further object is to avoid all possibility of a split switch caused by inattention of the operator or by a closely following car; and to allow the switch. to always be controllable except only when a wheel is againstthe switch tongue. 7

A further object is to enable a switchman in a switch tower to devote his time and attention to only the setting of the switch for starting the cars in their proper directions; so that after the switch has been set to receive a car, the further progress of such car will at the right time and without the switchmans attention cause the switch to return to normal position ready for the next car.

This invention is more particularly adapted to electric railways operated on the streets of cities, but may be applied wherever switches are employed.

The invention is adaptable to the various gages of track now in use in diiferent cities and an objectis to provide a device having one continuous mechanical connection between the switch tongue and the switch opening and closing mechanisms. I

Other objects are simplicity and strength of construction, durability and ease and convenience of operation.

The invention may be applied in various ways to-the different switches now in use and may be carried out in various forms.

The accompanying drawings illustrate some of the forms in which the invention may be embodied.

Figure 1 is a fragmental plan of a railway in which the invention is applied at a turn of the main line for the purpose of switching cars to the straight track. The switch tongue and operating mechanism are shown in switching position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan of the operating box in Fig. 1, the cover being omitted to show the internal mechanism, a portion of which is broken away for clearness of illustration. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation from linew Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan of the switchbox shown in Fig. 1, the covers being omitted to show the internal mechanism. Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan of the adjusting box in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation from line 00 Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation from line 60 Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan of the trip-box shownin Fig. 1, the cover being partially broken away to show the internal mechanism. Fig. 9 is a fragmental. sectional elevation from line m", Fig. 4. Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation from line 00 Fig. 4. Fig. 11 is a fragmental plan of a railway in which the invention is applied to a straight main line and right turn-out switch. The switch-tongue is shown in switching position. Fig. 12 is an enlarged plan of the switch boX in Fig. 11, the covers being omitted to show the internal mechanism. Fig. 13 is a sectional elevation fro-m line 00 Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a sectional elevation from line m, Fig. 11. Fig. 15 is an enlarged plan of the adjusting boxin Fig. 11,

the cover being omitted to show the internal mechanism. Fig. 16 is a sectional elevation from line as, Fig. 15. Fig. 17 is a sectional elevation from line x Figs. 1, 8 and 11, on the same scale as Fig. 8. Fig. 18 is a fragmental plan of a railroad in which the invention is applied to a straight main line and left turn-out switch. The switch tongue is shown in switching position and the switch box and adjusting box covers are omitted to show their internal mechanisms. Fig. 19 is an enlarged plan of a left-hand trip-box of the form shown in Fig. 18, the cover being omitted to show the parts beneath. Fig. 20' is an enlarged plan of a modified switch box adapted to operate a left turn-out switch, the covers being omitted to show the parts beneath. Fig. 21 is an enlarged plan of the adjusting box in Fig. 18, the cover being omitted to show the internal mechanism. Fig. 22 is a sectional elevation from line m, Fig. 21. I Fig. 23 is a fragmental plan of a railroad in which the invention is applied to a straight track at a left turnof the main line for the purpose of switching carsto the straight track. The switch tongue is shown in switching posit-ion and the switch box covers are omitted to show the mechanism beneath. Fig. 24c is a sectional elevation from irregular line a' m Fig. 20. Fig. .25 is an enlarged sectional elevation from irregular line m m Fig. 23. Fig. 26 is an enlarged sectional elevation from line 00 Fig.23.

Arrows on the section lines in the several views indicate the direction of sight.

The main line of the railroad may be straight as at 1, Figs. 11 and 18, or may be provided with a right or left turn as at 2, Figs. 1 and 24:, respectively. The term main line employed in the specification shall designate the track over which the greatest amount of traflic passes, whether such track be straight or comprise a right or left turn. The switch may be a right turnout 3 as in Fig. 11, a left turn-out ies in Fig. 18, a straight switch 5 as in Figs. 1 and 24, or may be of any desired construction and at the junction of such switch with the main line 1 the usual frog 6 and switch tongue 7 may be employed. The switch tongue 7 is provided with an integral, downwardly ex tending lug 8 to which is bolted a switch rod 9 for the purpose of transmitting motion to the switch tongue, the rail being grooved to accommodate said lug and rod.

The switch rod 9 projects intoa switchbox 10 which is preferably in two sections that extend one on either side of and are bolted to and practically flush with the top of the rail. The switch rod 9 may be pivoted as in Figs. 1 and 12 to a bell crank lever 11 which is fulcrumedto the switch box 10 and is pivoted to a connecting rod 12 that may consist of one or more sections as desired; or the switch rod 9 may be directly and adjustably connected by a turnbuckle 9- to the end of the connecting rod 12 as in Figs. 18 and 20. The connecting rod 12 passes through a conduit 13 which may be seetional, if desired, and may consist of pipe having one end opening intothe side or end of the switch box 10, as the case may be, andits other end opening into the side of an operating box'll. The connecting rod 12 may be provided intermediate its ends between its sections with supporting mechanism, which mechanism may bedesigned to translate the movement of the connecting rod from one direction to another and such mechanism as in Fig. 18 comprises a bellcrank lever18 pivoted to adjusting blocks 18 which are threaded on the adjacent ends of the connecting rod sections, and the bellcrank lever is fulcrumed to an adjusting box b that is'bolted to the side of the rail. The 1 7 switch rod 9 is normally held to keep the switch closed and may be operated in one direction to close or reset the switch by a helical, expansion, switch-closing spring 15 which may surround the rod between one side of the rail and an adjusting nut 16 as in Fig. 12 or may surround an extension 17 of the rod between the other side of the rail and said nut as in Fig. 4, according as the switch tongue is to be normally held to the right or left respectively. The switch rod 9 is provided on its inner end with a tooth 19 adapted to engage a tooth 20 of a locking lever 21 when the switch rod has been operated to open the switch in order that the switch tongue may be securely locked in switching position against the pressure of the switch-closing spring 15. The lever21 is loosely fulcrumed at one end either against the side of the rail as in Fig. 12 or againstthe box web 22 as in Fig. 4 and is pivoted to a spring rod 23 which passes through and is guided by the rail or box web as the case may be. The lever 21 is resilientlyheld in and is moved to switch locking position by a helical expansion switch-locking spring 24: which surrounds the spring rod 23 between an adjusting nut 25 and the rail or box web 22 as thecase may be. The switchthus seen that the switch rod and locking lever form interlocking members pulling in opposite directions and furthermore that the powers of the springs are unequal so that the interlocking members will be pulled in the same direction when they are in engagement and will be pulled in relatively opposite directions when they are disengaged.

The lever 21 may be operated in emergencies by hand and for that purpose is provided with a hand chain 26 passing around a pulley 27 which is journaled to the switch box 10; and the lever 21 may be and is preferably automatically operated and for such purpose is pivoted to one end of a trip rod 28 which may be sectional and which passes through a conduit 29 that may consist of one or more sections of pipe and that connects the switch box to aninternally-webbed trip box 30. The conduit 29 may be provided with one or more intermediate adjusting boxes 6, only one of whichis shown and into which project the ends of the trip rod sections that are threaded into adjusting blocks 0 which are pivotally connected to one another and to a link 31 that is pivotally and adjustably connected to the box web by an eye bolt 32. The said pivotal connections and adjusting box are for the purpose of supporting and holding the trip rod away from the sides of the conduit and to prevent undue bending and consequent possible shortening or lengthening of the rod and are also for the purpose of keeping the trip rod adjacent the track when the track is curved.

The trip rod 28 is pivotally connected at its other end to a bell-crank lever 33 which is fulcrumed to the trip box 30 and is pivoted to one end of a link 34 that is pivoted at its other end to a cross head 35 which is ad justably connected by nuts 36, 36 to a pair of spring rods 37 that are pivoted to a trip block 88 slidably mounted in the trip box beneath the surface plate 38 and flush with the top of the rail. The trip block 38 is normally and resiliently held in contact with the inner side of the rail by helical expansion trip-block retracting springs 39 that each surround a spring rod 37 between the rail and adjusting nut 36, and the trip block may be momentarily wedged away from the rail by the flange of a passing car wheel, not shown, thus retracting the tooth 20 of the lever 21 from engagement with the tooth'19 of the switch rod 9 which will thereupon be operated by the switch-closing spring 15 to move the switch tongue 7 to close the switch. It will be seen that by this arrangement the trip box and its mechanism is not located on the main line but on the switch and consequently where the traflic is lightest, thus reducing wear of the parts to a minimum.

The exact location of the trip block is determined by the length of the cars or train of cars representing the maximum trafiic of moved against the pressure of the switch locking spring 24 by the wedging pressure of the rearward passing rear car wheel flange, not shown; and should a car back down the closed switch, the trip block 38 will be .momentarily wedged aside by the rearward passing flanges of the car wheels, not shown, and the rear car wheel flange will then wedge aside the switch tongue 7 against the pressure of the switch-closing spring 15, whereupon the switch tongue will be held in such switch-closing position by engagement of the teeth 19, 20, with one another and will remain held until released by another car wheel flange passing and moving the trip block or until released by a pull on the hand chain 26 or by any suitable switch-opening mechanism. Such other switch-opening mechanism may be designed to operate the connecting rod 12 to move the switch tongue against the pressure of the switch-closing spring 15, and such mechanism may be of any desired construction and may be hand, mechanically or electrically operated, and if hand operated the operating box 14 is preferably located in a position that will. be close to the rear platform of the car or train when the car or train is in its stopped position in front of the switch, such location being preferable in order that the conductor may be able to open the switch without losing time ordinarily consumed by his going forward to the switch as is now customary; and this is of special imporance in connection withpay-as-you-enter cars, now coming into general use on street railroads, for the reason that the conductor is stationed on the rear platform of the car. I

passes around a pulley 42, and which lever for operating by mechanical power may be pivoted at its other end to a piston rod 43 operated by a piston head 44 that works in a cylinder 45, which may be connected to any source, not shown, of suitable operating fluid, such as air or oil flowing through intake and exhaust pipes 46, 47, respectively.

When the connecting rod 12 is operated as described the spring rod 9 will operate against the pressure of the switch-closing spring 15 to move the switch tongue in a direction to open the switch and the tooth 19 will slip over the tooth 20 of the lever 21 which will then be resiliently held by the greater pressure of the switch-locking spring 24 against the lesser pressure of the switch closingspring 15. It is understood that any suitable mechanism and power may be employed to open the switch and that I do not limit myself to the use of that shown and described, and that an electro-magnet automatically switched in or out by the passing car may be employed, but as such power ap- I in detail. It is thus seen that I have provided in an automatic release switch, a sprlng to normally close the switch, a second spring to lock the switch openagainst the pressure of the switch-closing spring and means to throw the switch locking spring into and out of commission.

In practical operation, the. switch tongue 7 being in normal switch-closing position, the car will'come to a stop in front of the switch and in case the car is to be switched from-the main line and if the switch is to be opened by hand, the conductor alighting from the rear platform of the car will pull the hand chain 41 to move the spring rod 9 and switchtongue 7 against the pressure of the switch-closing spring 15 until the tooth 19 slips over the tooth 20 of the lever 21 which will then be held by the pressure of the switch-locking spring 24, thus resiliently locking the open switch. Then the conductor will mount to his station on the rear platform and the car will proceed on its way over the switch and, when the rear wheel of the car, not shown, has passed the switch tongue 7 the flange of the front wheel of the car, not shown, will wedgedly" move the trip block 38 against the pressure of the springs 39 to retract the tooth 20 from engagement with, the tooth 19, thus throwing the switch locking spring 24 out of commission, whereupon the switch-closing spring 15 will operate to move the switch tongue? to close the switch and open the main line in readiness for the next following car, which if it be a main line car will be enabled to proceed on its way over the main line without any further operation of the switch tongue, that is securely held by the switch closing spring 15 until again moved to open the switch as hereinbefore described, thus avoiding the liability of a split switch. If

a car should back down a closed switch, the

trip block 38 will be operated by the flanges of the car wheels, but the teeth 19, 20 being out of engagement with one another, the

switch tongue 7 will be pushed aside by the" wheel flanges against the pressure of the switch-closing spring 15. If themain line of the railway is a single track, or, if for other reasons, cars are run backward on the main line and if the switch should not yet have been closed, then the switch tongue 7 will be pushed aside by the wheel flanges against the pressure of the switch-locking I sprmg 24:.

It is understood that the invention may be applied otherwise than shown, in the drawings without departing from or limit ing the scope of the invention.

InFig. 1 the connecting rod isshown passing through a manhole 48 such as sometimes occurs where it is desirable to lay such. connecting rods, one of the sections of,

which may be sufliciently short to be in cluded by the manhole in order that said section may be removed when it is'desired to enter the manhole for any of the usual reasons. 7

i I claim-: I i

1. An-automatic release switch comprising a switch. tongue, seeming to move the switch tongue, a second spring to resili-v ently, holdthe switch tongue against movement caused by thefirst spring, and means to throw the second spring into and out of commission.

2. Anautomatic release switch compris-' ing a switch tongue, a spring to move the switch tongue to open the switch, a second spring to hold the switch tongue immovable against the pressure of the first spring, and means to throw the second spring into and out of commission. 7

3. An automatic release switch comprising a switchtongue, a spring tomove the switch tongue, resilient means to hold the switch tongue against such movement, and means operatable by a car wheel after passing over the switch to throw said resilient means out of commission,

4;. An automatic release switch comprising a switch tongue, a spring to move themovement, means to release the resilient locking means, and means to move the switch tongue in the other direction when the locking means have been released.

6. An automatic releaseswitch comprising a switch tongue, a spring to move the switch tongue in one direction, means to lock the switch tongue against such movement, meansoperatable by a car after passing the switch to release the locking means, and means to move the switch tongue in the other direction when the locking means have been released, said means being handoperated from a position that will be close to the rear platform of the car when the car is in its stopped position in front of the switch. r

7. An automatic release switch comprising a switch tongue, a trip block adapted to be operated by the front wheel of said car after the rear wheel of said car has passedthe switch tongue, means operatably connecting the switch tongue and trip block to move the switch tongue in one direction, a dea position that will be close to the rear platform of the car when the car is in its stopped vice adapted to be. operated by hand from I position in front of the switch, and means operatably connecting the switch tongue and said device to move the switch tongue in the other direction.

8. A railway switch comprising a switch tongue, interlocking members, one of said members being connected to the switch tongue and movable thereby in one direction when the switch is being trailed by a car and the other member being shiftably mounted, means to disengage the interlock ing members, means operating to move both interlocking members in the reverse direc tion when said members are engaged, and means operating to move said interlocking member that is connected to the switch Copies of this patent may be obtained for tongue in said first direction when said members are disengaged.

9. A railway switch comprising a switch tongue, springs of unequal powers, interlocking members connecting the springs to one another and one of said members being connected to the switch tongue, and means operating to disengage said interlocking members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 26th day of September, 1911.

ROBERT H. FRENCH.

In presence of- JAMES R. TOWNSEND, GEORGE H. I-IILES.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

